Biggest threat to democracy ‘coming from within’?
For years after the end of the Cold Year it was possible to believe democracy was on the march across the globe. Now there are as many reasons to believe… Read more »
Category: Democracy Assistance and Promotion
Egypt: mass arrests aim ‘to quash what remains of civil society’
Egypt’s police and National Security Agency (NSA) forces have conducted a mass arrest campaign, rounding up at least 40 human rights workers, lawyers, and political activists since late October 2018,… Read more »
Iran’s militia allies ready to ‘call the shots’ in Iraq’s parliament?
The killing of a Muslim cleric who demonstrated over poor public services in Basra undermines the pillars of democracy in Iraq, a member of the parliament-elected Iraqi High Commission for… Read more »
The Power of Focus: Proposal for a ‘European Magnitsky Act’
Germany has halted arms sales to Riyadh and agreed with France to place a travel ban on several Saudi nationals following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, raising international pressure on… Read more »
Three ways to advance democracy abroad
While the new U.S. Congress will face deep divides on many issues, it does have a chance to act on one issue upon which both sides broadly agree: supporting democracy… Read more »
Autocratic populists leave democracy ‘unfixable’?
Advanced democracies enjoy institutional defenses against would-be authoritarian leaders, analysts suggest, and even where they fall victim to illiberal or populist rule, they tend to demonstrate resilience and capacity for… Read more »
Why disinformation impacts democracies and autocracies differently
Democracies are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns that “flood” public debate and disrupt shared understandings of actors and coalitions, in ways that autocracies are not, research suggests. That’s because there are… Read more »
Sri Lanka turmoil points to China’s ‘new colonialism’
The surest way to lose an election in south Asia is to be too enthusiastic about China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Wherever Chinese influence has grown, governments have turned more… Read more »
Weaponized Narratives? Confronting the disinformation challenge to democracy
A coalition of civil society organizations is calling on Facebook to provide a mechanism for all of its users to appeal content restrictions, and, in every case, to have the… Read more »
Strategic approach needed to defend democracy
A new presence in Washington is likely to add a forceful voice in support of democracy and human rights, reports suggest. “The House has a voice which it can use… Read more »